Why Man City should beat Man United to land this €80m powerhouse – would be Fernandinho’s successor

Why Tanguy Ndombele would be the ideal long-term successor to Fernandinho

According to the Mirror, the Manchester giants are set to go head-to-head in a transfer tug of war over French midfielder Tanguy Ndombele next summer, with Lyon likely to cash in on their prized asset. The report claims that the Premier League sides will face stiff competition from Serie A champions Juventus.

Lyon reportedly value the 22-year-old defensive midfielder at €80million and Pep Guardiola is thought to be a personal admirer of the Frenchman, having praised him for his heroics in Lyon’s 2-2 draw against Manchester City in the Champions League back in November. (h/t Mirror)

Ndombele has been in sublime form in the Ligue 1 this season, attracting the attention of a number of top clubs in Europe. He has also been a key figure in Lyon’s march to the knockout stage of the Champions League from a tough group that featured City, Hoffenheim and Shakhtar Donetsk.

Known as a hardworking all-action midfielder, the 22-year-old has a wonderful technique that allows him to keep good close-control of the ball and run comfortably with it. He is exceptionally skilful for a defensive midfielder, possessing a bagful of tricks up his sleeve to create space with intricate touches, sharp turns and clever take-ons.

Tanguy Ndombele

He not only has the ability to dictate the tempo of the game in the middle of the park, but also contributes a lot with his work rate off the ball. The Frenchman likes to press the opposition and win back possession with crucial tackles and interceptions.

To put things into perspective, he would be an ideal replacement for Fernandinho at Manchester City. Even though the Cityzens did not manage to strike a deal for the 22-year-old this season, they should re-ignite their interest in him to bolster their defensive midfield options in the summer.

Manchester City cruised to the Premier League crown last season, but as the cliche goes- ‘the road to the title is never the same twice’; the Citizens have been made to fight tooth and nail to hold off Liverpool’s challenge. Pep Guardiola’s men are currently leading the table on goal difference, but they have to do a lot of work before from now until May.

As important as he is to the team, the team found it difficult to cope in the absence of Fernandinho for a few games back in December. John Stones and Ilkay Gundogan are quite capable of filling in, but neither of them proved to be as efficient as the Brazilian in that role, further documenting the need to bring in reinforcements to take the pressure off the veteran’s shoulders.

Fernandinho has been a wonderful servant for City over the years, but with him reaching the twilight of his career, the club should look for a replacement as soon as possible. That being said, they should not hesitate to splash the cash on Ndombele to maintain a squad strong enough to compete on all fronts.